Tempt Destiny interactive sports game method

ABSTRACT

The Tempt Destiny interactive sports game method pertains to a method of playing an interactive sports game while observing or listening to a live or recorded broadcast sporting event. This invention embodies playing cards that describe the occurrences of the method of play and rules of the sporting event and commercial advertisements that are typically broadcast during the event. When a participant&#39;s card matches the play or occurrence during the broadcast sporting event, the participant claims the card and its point value. During a commercial break, participants can exchange cards from the card sets to alter their hand. The participant with the most points totaled from the cards claimed, wins the hand. The game method can be applied to football, baseball, car racing, etc. Since participants are not predicting the plays of the sporting event, no extensive knowledge of the sport is required to play.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

U.S. Patent Documents 4,141,548 Feb. 27, 1979 Everton 4,953,873 Sep. 4, 1990 Jacobson 5,730,443 Mar. 24, 1998 Allen 6,012,721 Jan. 11, 2000 Harnish 6,209,872 Apr. 3, 2001 Caswell

This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/766,378, entitled “Tempt Destiny interactive sports game method” EFS ID: 101385.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to the field of sports games and more particularly, a card game that interacts with live or recorded sports broadcasts.

2. Description of Related Art

Many games have been developed to simulate, predict, and interact with popular sporting events such as football, baseball, basketball, hockey, soccer, and car racing. Prior art commonly try to simulate the sporting experience as with U.S. Pat. No. 6,012,721 issued to Harnish utilizing cards describing play action events. Other prior art which interact with the viewing of an actual sporting event utilizes electronic devices as with U.S. Pat. No. 4,141,548 issued to Everton, or utilizes board games and cards as with U.S. Pat. No. 6,209,872 issued to Caswell, or utilizes board games and chips as with U.S. Pat. No. 4,953,873 issued to Jacobson, or utilizes flags and score keeping as with U.S. Pat. No. 5,730,443 issued to Allen, all of which use prediction in conjunction with broadcast sporting events as a means to determine the game's outcome.

Inventions that try to simulate existing games will always be limited to a simulation of the real thing. Inventions which interact with broadcast sporting events while utilizing the element of prediction become a game unto themselves, and in the process, the game being played competes with, and thereby risks conflicting with, the broadcast sporting event. In addition, inventions that interact with the broadcast sporting events ignore the interruption of commercial breaks which makes the playing of the interactive game fragmented.

The game method of the present invention engages the participant to interact with the broadcast sporting event without predicting, simulating, or competing with the sport itself. By means of using predestined events embodied in the playing cards of the present invention, the participants simply watch the sporting event as they normally would and then match what takes place during the broadcast with the playing cards in their hand. The game method of the present invention also enables the audience of the sporting event to interactively play the entire sports broadcast. With the inclusion of the commercial advertisements along with the predestined events of the sport, the interactive play of the present invention is sustained throughout the entire broadcast.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention pertains to methods of playing an interactive sports game of destiny and chance in conjunction with observing or listening to a live or recorded broadcast sporting event. The element of destiny is incorporated in the playing cards, which embody the manner of “play” or predestined occurrences of the sporting event and commercial categories typically associated with the broadcast. The chance element occurs in the matching of the playing cards with the sporting event occurrences and commercials that take place during the broadcast.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The preferred embodiments of the present invention will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the appended drawings, wherein like designations denote like elements, and:

1. FIG. 1 illustrates the card backs which are visible as card sets for players to draw from during the playing process;

2. FIG. 2 illustrates the color coordinated card faces which describes the event and or occurrence of the sport being played and the point value of the cards;

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention utilizes a game method consisting of events, plays, and or occurrences associated with a broadcast sporting event which are embodied, but not limited to, playing cards consisting of three categories: common events, uncommon events, and commercial advertisement events which are assigned point values in relation to the categories and frequency of occurrences. The categorized events are arranged by color into card sets as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. The purpose of having events being categorized into different color card sets is to insure that the various event categories are evenly distributed among each participant's card hand. In doing so, each card hand dealt provides a favorable chance of winning for all participants and thereby generates interest and competitiveness in playing the game being watched.

The design of the card back graphically represents 10 the sport being played as well as the category colors of blue 11, red 12, and black 13-14 cards. The blue color cards 11 consist of the category of common events. The red color cards 12 consist of the category of uncommon events and, in the two card set configuration, commercial advertisement events. The black 13-14 color cards consist of the category of commercial advertising events. The black 13-14 color card set can be an addition to the two card set configuration

The design of the card front reflects the card back category colors of blue 21, red 22, and black 23 cards. The card front also describes the game event and title 24 of the card, the point value associated with the event 25, and contains game logo area 20.

The present invention utilizes playing cards that feature descriptive wording 24 of the events associated with the sport being played including, but not limited to, football, baseball, basketball, soccer, hockey, and car racing. For example, in the sport of football the playing cards feature running and passing yards gained, loss of yards, touchdown, fumble, safety, offensive and defensive penalties, etc. In the sport of baseball, the playing cards would feature home run, strike out, double play, error, fly out, etc. In the sport of auto racing playing cards would feature green flag, yellow flag, pit stop, car accident, driver/crew interview, lead car change, victory lap, etc.

The present invention also utilizes playing cards that feature descriptive wording 24 of the commercial advertising events typically associated with the broadcast of the sport being played including advertisement categories such as auto, credit card, insurance, medical, food, beer, soft drink, movies, etc. In addition, since the commercial breaks are included into the activities of the game method, the present invention also utilizes playing cards for the participants of the game to take a “Player Intermission” and gain points while taking a break to get refreshments, etc., during the playing of the game.

The present invention can be configured into two and three card sets. The two card set configuration consists of a blue set 11 and a red set 12 of cards. In this configuration, the red card 12 set features both the uncommon events and commercial advertisement events. The three card set configuration as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 would consists of the blue card set 11 and a red card 12 set without the commercial advertisement events since the commercial advertisement events makeup the entire third card set of black 13-14 color cards. Each card set would have a minimum of fifty four cards.

Essentially, playing the game method of the present invention involves the following steps and rules:

-   -   1. The distribution of the two card set configuration are three         blue 11 cards and four red 12 cards per participant. The         distribution of the three card set configuration are three blue         11 cards, four red 12 cards, and two black 13-14 cards per         participant.     -   2. When a card in the participant's hand matches the event 24 or         commercial advertisement 24 that takes place during the sporting         event, the participant claims the card's points 25.         -   i. Participant must show the matching card 24 being claimed             to the other participants for approval or be penalizes by             returning all of their claimed cards to the deck FIG. 1.         -   ii. Participant must claim the matching card 24 prior to the             next sporting event or lose the opportunity to claim the             card 25 until the next matching event.         -   iii. Participant can claim only one matching card 24, per             event or commercial break.         -   iv. Penalty cards 24 overrule all other cards except when             overturned, declined, or added to the end of play or             sporting occurrence.     -   3. After participant claims a card, participant is allocated         another card from the same card set FIG. 1 to replace the card         claimed. Should a card set run out during the hand, participants         continue play until the conclusion of the hand.     -   4. Card Exchange—participants can choose to exchange cards from         the card sets FIG. 1 only during a commercial break. Cards can         be exchanged but only a maximum of one card from each card set.         Returned cards are placed at the bottom of the corresponding         card sets.     -   5. Conclusion of the Hand—the hand ends at the conclusion of the         sporting event's time periods and or occurrences e.g., the         quarter (American football), designated innings (baseball), the         period (hockey), the half (soccer), or when a player runs out of         a card set.     -   6. Winner—after the conclusion of the hand, the participant with         the highest total of claimed points 25 wins the hand.     -   7. Tie-Breaker—should two or more participants have the same         total of points 25 claimed at the conclusion of the hand, then         the participant having the highest total of points 25 in their         hand, wins. If a tie still remains, then participants flip a         coin to determine winner.

The game can be played with one or more participants and with, or without, any wager items such as, but not exclusive to, chips, tokens, and markers. Any wagers would take place prior to the beginning of the hand and or during the commercial break card exchanges in a manner similar to placing wagers in games such as poker or black jack. Since the cards embody the sporting event characteristics, no extensive knowledge of the sport is required to play.

Other embodiments of the invention may include the game being played with representations of playing cards displayed on an electronic screen such as in a video game, internet game, video slot machine, or combined with a screen of the televised sporting event being played. While the invention has been described in connection with specific embodiments thereof, it is understood that this is done by way of example and not as a limitation to various changes in form and details that may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. 

1. A method of playing an interactive sports game using, but not limited to, actual playing cards or representation of cards (cards) in conjunction with a live or recorded sporting event being televised and or broadcast, said game method comprising of: a. one or more participants observing a sporting event and commercials normally associated with the sporting event in order to claim points which are accumulated based on the actual plays or occurrences and commercial advertisements that occur during the sports event; b. cards that are based on and comprised of the method of play and rules of the sporting event, recognizable occurrences associated with the sports broadcast, and commercial breaks consisting of advertisements; c. cards that are assigned point values in relation to the frequency of occurrences within the sporting event broadcast; d. allocation of cards to each participant from card sets of the game; e. Claiming points when a participant's card matches the play or occurrence of the sporting event or commercial advertisement during the broadcast sports event: i. participant showing the matching card being claimed to the other participants for approval or be penalizes by returning all of their claimed cards to the deck; ii. participant claiming the matching card prior to the next sporting event or lose the opportunity to claim the card until the next matching event; iii. participant restricted to claiming only one matching card, per event or commercial break; iv. penalty cards which overrule all other cards except when overturned, declined, or added to the end of play or sporting occurrence; f. after claiming a card, participant acquires another card from the same set of cards to replace, not exchange, the card claimed; g. providing participants an option to exchange cards of the same set in hopes of obtaining more promising cards but restricting the exchange to commercial breaks so as not to disrupt the observance of the sporting event; h. the hand ending with the conclusion of the sporting event's time periods and or occurrences as associated with the particular sport being observed, or when a participant runs out of a card set; i. the participant with the highest total of claimed points at the conclusion of the hand wins; j. two or more participants having the same total of points claimed at the conclusion of the hand the tie-breaker will be the participant having the highest total of points in their hand wins. If a tie still remains, then participants flip a coin to determine winner. 